Projector for bowling balls



Dec. 6, 1949 F. o. WICKERSHAM PROJECTOR FOR BOWLING BALLS Filed Feb. 28, 1947 Patented Dec. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PROJECTOR FOR BQWLING BALLS Frederick O. Wickersham, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 28, 1947, Serial No. 731,569

1 Claim. (01. ere-as The invention relates to table-type bowling apparatus.

One object of the invention is to provide a bowling apparatus which provides for improved directional'control of the ball from a position from which it will gravitate down a chute to the runway, by the exercise of skill.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth, and more particularly defined by the claim at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of an apparatus embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the chute, from which the ball is discharged.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

The invention is exemplified in a, top panel, which forms the runway ll] over which the balls 26 are rolled. End supports H and I2 on the runway, are adapted to rest on a table. The panel which forms the runway I0, is provided with gutters l3 into which the balls roll when they are not discharged from the chute in the proper direction to strike bowling pins set on the spots It. A hopper |-5, surrounded by a guard IS in the rear of the spots I4, is adapted to receive the balls after striking the bowling pins, and to discharge them through an opening I! to a return trough 8 under the runway I0. Trough I8 is open at the front end of the runway for returning the balls to the player.

A chute 20 has an upper inclined face and a bottom overlying the top surface of the runway Ill and is pivotally mounted to swing horizontally over the front end portion of said runway. The upper face of chute 20 is provided with a groove 24 which is curved in cross-section for directionally controlling the gravitation of the ball down the chute. A shoulder 25 for retaining the ball in groove 24, is provided at the upper end of the chute and the lower end of groove 24 terminates so it is flush with the top of runway l0. From shoulder 25, the groove is longitudinally inclined so that the ball unless restrained, will gravitate and roll from the upper end Of the chute down the groove 24 onto the runway l0, acquiring sufficient momentum to knock down the pins set up on the rear end of the runway.

A stop-pin 2| extending vertically through a bore in chute 20, has its lower end pivotally and slidably held in the run-way l and end support II. The .pin 2| intersects the center of groove 25 at its upper end and when the pin is raised, projects in front of the ball 26, to restrain it from gravitating down the groove 24, as illustrated in Fig. 2. When the stop-pin 2| is depressed below the groove 24, the ball will be released for gravitation and roll down the chute.

A pin 30 extends transversely through pin 2| and a vertical slot 3| in chute 20 and its ends project from both sides of the chute to function as handles for vertically depressing the stop-pin 2| and for imparting horizontal pivotal movement to chute 29 and pin 2|. A spring 28, the lower end of which is confined in socket 29 in support l and which has its upper end engaging an abutment '21 on pin 2|, urges stop-pin 2| upwardly and permits it to be depressed for the withdrawal of its upper end from the path of ball 26 for releasing the ball for gravitation down the chute. The projector end of the runway is mounted so as to provide clearance for the downward movement of the stop-pin 2|.

In operation, a ball 26 is placed in the upper end of groove 24 in front of shoulder 25 and will be held there by gravity against the front side of stop-pin 2|. The player will then, by means of cross-pin 3U, swing the stop-pin 2| horizontally and with it the chute '20, to angularl and directionally position the groove 24, for the directional control of the ball 26 toward the bowling-pins. In this setting, the upper end of the pin 2| and the vertical axis of the ball, may be used to aid in setting the chute into the angular position desired according to the skill of the player. Next, the player will depress both ends of cross-pin 30 to slide stop-pin 2| downwardly to clear the groove 24 and release ball 26 so it will gravitate and roll down the chute in the groove 24 toward the bowling-pins. When ball 26 has cleared the groove 24 in chute 20, the :player will release cross-pin 30 and spring 28 will return stop-pin 2| to its raised position, in readiness for another play with the ball. The ball will be returned to the player through opening I! and return runway l8.

The invention exemplifies bowling apparatus with a chute from which the ball is released for gravitation and rolling down a direction controlling groove to the runway by a stop-pin which intersects :the groove, after the chute has been angularly set for directional control of the ball. This discharges the ball without a striking impulse, and enables the player to more skilfully control the direction of the ball toward the pins. The stop-pin rotates with the chute and its upper end is in alignment with the vertical axis of the 3 ball for aiding the player in directionally finding the desired. angular setting of the chute.

The invention is not to be understood as limited to the details described, since these may be modifled within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A projector for a bowling ball over a runway at one end of which bowling-pins are set, comprising: a chute overlying and having its bottom engaging the upper face of the front end of the runway and provided with an inclined groove in its front face for directionally guiding the ball as it gravitates to the runway, a stop-pin extending verticall through and slidable in the chute and runway, and pivoted in the runway, the upper end :of the stop-pin being adapted to retain a a 4 ball against rolling down the chute by gravity. spring-means under the runway for urging the stop-pin into ball-retaining position, the chute being provided with a slot in its sides, and a cross-pin on the stop-pin, extending through said slot and projecting from the chute, for depressing the pin to release the ball for gravitation down the groove and connecting the runway to the stop-pin so the chute may be pivotally shifted by the cross-pin.

FREDERICK O. WICKERSHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 125,027 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1928 634,175 France Nov. 8, 1927 

